Tea Dreams of Wonderland Days
Once again, Ethan Van Sciver just NAILS the cover. The previous cover had a strong horror tone to it mixed with Mad Hatter imagery, this one focuses a lot more on surreal 'Alice in Wonderland' imagery, balanced out in a very strange and unnerving atmosphere. Batman's taking up a bit too much space, but the concept is so excellent.
This issue is a MUCH stronger one than the previous issue, probably due to the increased focus on Mad Hatter, his backstory, and his particular brand of insanity. It's the same formula as the previous arc, but in terms of villain exploration it's something Hurwitz does well, and the actual plot seems to have a lot better structure than the Scarecrow arc. However, the biggest flaws this time come from Batman's various actions. Hurwitz had a fantastic grasp on Batman last arc, balancing his brutality and compassion for children, but this arc seems to have Batman incredibly off for no real reason. Why is Alfred referred to as 'Penny-One?' What was the point of having Batman linger after talking to Commissioner Gordon like he NEVER does? It's just so... out of character, and since it's not given any kind of reason it's just such a dumb moment. And why did he set the kid he saved ON THE WING OF THE BATPLANE SEVERAL STORIES UP IN THE AIR and tell him to 'wait here.' I mean, ultimately nothing bad comes of it, but it makes Batman look ridiculously irresponsible and stupid.
But this is a great intro to Mad Hatter for new readers and those who think he's a joke villain. He's incredibly twisted, but in a manner completely different from Scarecrow. Mad Hatter is dangerously unpredictable, he's got a big plan in mind, but the reasoning behind a lot of his choices seem very arbitrary and strange. Even his close henchman are utterly baffled, and watching it all unfold leaves an impression of Mad Hatter as being genuinely creepy.
The big thing in this issue is that Mad Hatter's backstory begins to undergo some RADICAL changes. His obsession with hats coming from having worked with his father at a haberdashery seems a bit forced, and creates an oddly repetitive trend with Scarecrow being heavily influenced by the work of his own father. But aside from that, Jervis Tetch was no longer a social pariah as a child. This is a HUGE change, as before that was a core aspect of his character turning out the way he did. Years of rejection and isolation fueled his obsession with the fictional world of Wonderland. But here we see a young Tetch who has friends. Like, real friends who smack a kid in the back of the head with a baseball bat for attempting to bully him. It might've been a whiffle ball bat though, but still. He has friends. Athletic and attractive friends, and he's not an ugly little social reject. He even asks the Alice he loves on a date, and they both have a good time. I like this a lot, though. The whole 'social outcast' thing is a pretty overplayed cliche, and it leaves his backstory with high potential to surprise me. I honestly have no idea where Hurwitz is going with this origin, but it's so much more unique I love it. It's a bold, but intriguing move.
In Conclusion: 4/5
I can't seem to nail down Gregg Hurwitz. I know he's amazing at dark and intense exploration of the more psychologically twisted villains, but his storytelling with Batman involved is very inconsistent. I mean, this arc began pretty terribly, a 2/5, and yet this issue was excellent! I just... don't know. The point is, if you were on the fence after last week's crappy issue, give this one a chance because it's genuinely great, and is completely rebuilding the origin of Mad Hatter in a much more original and unique direction, while keeping the core of the character intact.
